1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an input device that turns on a switching unit in response to a pressing load applied by an input manipulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a reliable manipulation is required for an input device that turns on a switching unit in response to a pressing load applied by an input manipulation, a setting to turn on the switching unit with a higher load is demanded. To meet this demand, measures have been devised.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-151407, for example, discloses a mechanism that uses dome-shaped elastic pressure members to generate a pressing load.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror switch device 100 described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-151407. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a pressure member unit 124 used in the mirror switch device 100.
A circuit board 115 is disposed in a switch case 114 and the pressure member unit 124, which includes eight elastic pressure members 116 to 123, is provided on the circuit board 115, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. These elastic pressure members 116 to 123, which are made of a rubber, are shaped like a dome. Each elastic pressure member 123 illustrated in FIG. 9 has a manipulated part 123b at the top of a thin rising part 123a. A switching unit 132 has a movable contact plate 132a, which is formed on the rear surface of the manipulated part 123b of the elastic pressure member 123, and a fixed contact 132b, which is formed on the circuit board 115 so as to face the movable contact plate 132a, as illustrated in FIG. 9. A pusher 126, which is pressed by a manipulation knob 125, is provided on the same side as the manipulated parts 116b to 123b of the elastic pressure members 116 to 123.
The manipulated part 123b, for example, receives a pressing force exerted in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 9 and moves in that direction while the rising part 123a is deformed. When the pressing force is eliminated, the manipulated part 123b returns to its original position due to the elastic restoring force of the rising part 123a. 
A load needed to deform the rising parts 116a to 123a of the elastic pressure members 116 to 123 can be set by selecting a rubber material and changing the thickness, the height, and other parameters of the shapes of the rising parts 116a to 123a. Therefore, it is possible to set a pressing load applied to the input device by making an adjustment so that the elastic pressure members 116 to 123 are deformed with a load higher than a contact load under which the movable contact plate 132a and fixed contact 132b, for example, are electrically connected.